Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-18
CHARCOAL BURNING.
HOW THE BURNER MANAGED BUSl-
NESS IN THE OLD DAYS.

Tie Results of a Stroke of Genius-Ths
| Waste of the Old Fashioned Plan
Valuable Chemical Products of the
Modern Method
| A two story picnic barge was tied up beside
! North river pier near Harrison street The
picnic business had not been good for its
| owner, and he had turned to another line of
business by transporting light eight mer-
chandise in it from the upper waters of the
Hudson. A gang of men that formed two
long professions, travelling in opposite direc-
lions, were carrying rough bags full of CHAR
coal from the barge and loading them on
trucks Oh the pier A bright young man,
who could keep tally of the bags. smoke a
good cigar, and talk at the same time, stood
at the end of the gang plank and made a
mark in book every time a man with a bag
passed him. To a stranger who was curious
to know something about the charcoal bust
ness he said:
"This boat load Of charcoal came from Al
bany. The coal was made UP in the North
Woods somewhere, most likely out of wood
stolen off the state lands. There has been
great charge in the charcoal business re-
Gently.
I'm the old days the charcoal burner drove
stake in the center Of piece of cleared
ground, or cleared of piece of ground
around small sapling. and then proceeded
to stand cor. wood up around It on end until
the pile was about forty feet in diameter and
two lengths high. Then he piled sods and
earth all over the pit. leaving small hole
here and there around the bottom, and one
small one in the top. When the wood was
we'll covered in be set it on fire and let it
burn till well ablaze and then closed I'D the
draughts around the pile. For two weeks
thereafter the charcoal burner, with another
man TO keep watch and watch with him. sat
by the pile and smoked his pipe Now and
then the fire would break through the cover
ing and he would have TO cover No the hole
Sometimes be would have TO make a hole ON
o side where the fire was not disposed 10 20
In q few days a black tar would begin
TO ooze out through little drains made
Tor its escape round the bottom During
all the time the pile was burning pic
turSqae column Of smoke rose out OF the
chimney bole left in the top. When tire tar
ceased TO flow and the smoke 20 rise the char /
coal burner knew that the pat was burned /
out, and after allowing day or 50 for cool 1
ing he shoveled of the soils and earfn poured /
water on such chunks Of coal a. happened 10 /
be on fire. and was then ready - load the /
product of his labor into a dusty. black /
covered wagon, and with his u11les 70 pull il,
drive to town and make himself hozrse shout
ing, 'Cha-a-aT-r-ooaIi Char-c-o-a-IF He grst /
about twenty-five bushels Of coal out OF a /
cord OF wood. and twenty fire cents out Of
bussel Of coal Considering the value of tie
wood and the time required TO make and sesi
the charcoal, the charcoal burner didn't get |
rich very fast In fact be Was always
aboTer dressed IN bs1e jeans
-Sct be found sirne 10 useiitsre, and that
Afrer long years amounted 20 something Ga. |
II bis n,esiisatsors grew tbe revolutson In the
business Singular ~ IL rBay sesEa. tho most
Fasuabse proiucs Of the charcoal pat was tie
Picturesque column OF SMOKE tia. ruse up ard
ms dtssrated IL the air above the TT while the
ire lasted Il vas like throwing money into
~ river 10 ies faax smoke blow array. Sums
right geasus dixoveruf that the sznoas ~
= god pars nlcoAua, and thns d. nieoAna fw
nl1uufenl paryuss - - aUHop1 = nkaln